Shards Read Online Free Page A

jolted by a flash of searing heat and pain in my fingers. I
was thrown backwards. It was like a massive electrical shock. The
smell of burnt flesh and plastic filled the room.
    It took me a long time to
recover. I just stood there watching the screen blaze.
    The bikini model soon crumpled
into a blackened skeleton. All my icons were now little squares of
ash dotted around the screen. Yet the burning message remained.
    Very carefully, I touched one
of the keys, trying to make the message disappear. Heat welled up
from my finger and the whole keyboard shot up in flames. Snatching
my hand back, I then grabbed at the monitor, trying to move it out
of the fire's path. The plastic under my hand smouldered for an
instant then the monitor exploded in a fireball, showering glass
fragments all over my room.
    I panicked, reaching for my
half-empty Coke to pour over the computer. The can melted with a
loud pop, spilling scalding drink all over my desk. Despite the
eruptions of heat and fire, my hands were mostly unscathed.
    Downstairs, I heard my parents
shout my name. They probably heard the monitor explode. Panicked
and confused, I stumbled back, collapsing onto my bed. All I could
do was sit on the edge of my bed and freak out, watching the flames
rise out of what used to be my state-of-the-art computer.
    Not knowing what to touch, I
slumped into myself, cupping my head in my hands. That was my
mistake.
    The heat was excruciating. I
screamed and flailed for what seemed hours. I clawed at myself,
trying to put out the intense fire consuming my body. More pockets
of fire erupted every time I touched the sheets. It was a
nightmare. I was burning alive.
    My parents barged through the
door. I grabbed at Dad in desperation. His sleeve shot up in
flames. The whole room became an inferno. Dad beat at his arm as he
pulled away from me. Mum disappeared, leaving the two of us to
burn.
    She returned seconds later and
smothered my body with a blanket. I screamed and screamed. It was
unbearable. The last thing I saw was Dad ripping his jacket off and
throwing it to the floor. At least he got off lightly.
    #
    The black keyboard stood
temporarily abandoned as the entombed foetuses stared into
nothingness. The amber fluid in their hooked-up tanks had clouded
from the recent activity. Between them, the computer lay idle in
stand-by mode---a predator at rest between kills.
    Behind the carpet of darkness
that served as screen saver, a data log automatically generated by
the computer waited for the master's return.
    At the top of the log, amid
time, date, and server data, stood waiting to be read:
    Target 'Sabre' (IP
203.198.66.4).
    Malephagia Firewall v1.1
successfully uploaded.
    Dozens of other nicknames and
addresses trailed below.
    #
    I spent two months in Stratton
Memorial following 'the incident'. They said I died during the
first operation; that my heart stopped for thirteen seconds. I went
through six more operations before they'd even considered releasing
me. My body is a pathetic withered blister; one giant scab.
    I've been in the rehabilitation
wing of the Feldman centre now for about nine weeks. I wear a full
body pressure suit that's supposed to be cutting edge medical
technology. I hang by slings like a mummy on wires. They're trying
to get me to move, in case my muscles atrophy. Hell, I didn't move
much when I wasn't all burnt up, so I figure what's the difference.
They say I was lucky to live. Can't see the difference there
either.
    I'll never be able to touch
anything ever again. Ever.
    Despite the rehab, despite the
pain, despite everything, there is one thing that keeps me
going.
    I have the bastard's email
address, and the hope to track him down. I also have those words,
still seared into my mind.
    You are now infected by
Malephagia Firewall counter-protection.
    * * *
    Smouldering Eyes
    I only ever wanted to be
noticed. To feel attractive. It was a simple, heartfelt wish. To
undo the misery of my bland face and stringy hair. To